The report – titled U.S. Health in International Perspective: Shorter Lives, Poorer Health – examines the body of research on life expectancy and health in America and 16 other “high-income democracies” including the United Kingdom, Germany, Canada, Australia and Japan.

The analysis found that Americans perform the worst in the world on nine health indicators including:

infant mortality and low birth weight

injuries and homicides

adolescent pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease

HIV and AIDS

drug-related deaths

obesity and diabetes

heart disease

chronic lung disease

disability

In fact, the U.S. ranked at the bottom on nearly every health indicator the panel reviewed with the exception of deaths from cancer that can be detected by tests, and blood pressure and cholesterol levels.

While the report offered some potential explanations for Americans’ poor health, there is no clear-cut evidence on how to fix the problem. The panel found that Americans have less access to health care compared to people in other countries, and that they suffer from higher rates of poverty and income inequality.

The panel also found that health behaviors are a contributing factor. Americans are more likely to abuse drugs, get involved in traffic accidents involving alcohol, use firearms in an act of violence, fail to wear a seat belt and consume high levels of calories.

This disturbing news should serve as a walk up call. Clearly eating well and exercise are important, but there are economic and cultural issues at work that require a broader response.

Comments

This is sad but I believe it’s true. I hardly know anyone who hasn’t lost an adult child to drugs, accidents, violence or suicide. These are societal issues rather than health issues in the usual sense.

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[…] Gaps in evidence: Gun violence in America July 15, 2013 By shall Leave a Comment var addthis_product = 'wpp-262'; var addthis_config = {"data_track_clickback":true,"data_track_addressbar":false};if (typeof(addthis_share) == "undefined"){ addthis_share = [];}News stories about the problem of gun violence in America have dominated media outlets across the country over the past year. The tragic school shooting in Newtown, Connecticut continues to fuel an on-going debate about the laws surrounding violence and safety in our society. It’s a sensitive subject, and many people across the nation hold opposing viewpoints about what should be done. But one thing is clear: gun violence is a critical public health problem. […]

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